The present invention relates to a method for determining the air flow passing through a turbine-engine laybrinth seal.
In turbine-engine operation, especially those utilized for aircraft propulsion, a number of hitherto inexplicable drawbacks have been encountered. Among these drawbacks is a drop in thrust over variable durations, a propensity towards pumping, depending on the temperature of the turbine-engine, and general performance degradation under ill-defined operating conditions.
It has been suggested that these drawbacks may be attributed to variations in air leaks to one or more of the various labyrinth seals utilized in the turbine-engine structure, in particular those labyrinth seals at the compressor output. A method for precisely measuring the air flow through the various labyrinth seals of the turbine-engine is necessary to analyze the behavior of the engine and to interpret the operational thermodynamic conditions of its turbine at high pressure. Also, knowledge of the air flows through the labyrinth seals enables the more precise definition and improvement of break-in procedures.